Headlight-steering mechanism.



C. G. & F. E. HILLIGAS.

HEADLIGHT STEERING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 27. l9l5. 1,174,148. Patented Mar. 7, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET ic. G. & F. E. mLueAs.

HEADLIGHT STEERING MECHANISM. APPLICATION men JAN. 21, 1915.-

1,174,148. I Patented Mar. 7', 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

unrra snares PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE G. HILLIGAS, OF CADIZ, AND FRANK E. HILLIGAS, OF HARRISVILLE, OHIO.

HEADLIGHT-STEERING MECHANISM.

1,174,148. nL rman. Patented mm, 1916.

Application filed January 27, 1915. Serial No. 4,732.

To all whom it may concern: several views, Figure 1 is a front elevation, Be it known that we, CLARENCE G. H'ILLI- partly broken away, showing ounimproved GAS and FRANK E. HILrTcAs, citizens of the device applied to an automobile ofconven- United'States, residing at Cadiz, in thetional type, Fig; 2 is aside elevation, more 5 countyof Harrison, and at Harrisville, in particularlyillustrating.the mounting of the i the county of Jefferson, respectively, and lamp receiving brackets'and the connection State of Ohio, have invented certain new therebetween and the connecting rod of the 1 and useful Improvements in Headlightmachine, the machine being partly broken Steering Mechanism, of which the following away and portions thereof being shown. in 1c is a specification. j section, Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view his invention relates to an improved auparticularly illustrating the operation of the tomobile headlight steering mechanism and connection betweenthe lamp brackets and has as its primary object to provide a mechthe connecting rod of the machine, Fig. 4 is anism of this character having as its salient a perspective view showing the mechanism 15 feature, simplicity of construction and detached, and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary secwhich may be readily applied to automotional view more particularly illustrating biles of conventional type without the necesthecletail construction of the device.

sity of structural change therein. Referring now more particularly to the The invention has as a further object to drawings, we have, for convenience, illus- 20 provide an improved mechanism of this trated a lamp bracket and associated mech-J character adapted to be operatively connectanlsm in connection with a conventional ed to the connecting rod of the steering type of automobile, employing at the front mechanism of the vehicle so that reciprocaend thereof, bracket arms 10 for operatively tion of the said rod will effect a correspondsupporting the forward extremities of the 25 ,ing turning movement of the lamps to thus fenders and including as a part of the steerdirect the rays of the lamps in the path'of ing mechanism of the automobile, a c0nventhe machine as the machine is guided. 'tional types of connecting. rod 11. While A further object of the invention in this we have illustrated but one lamp bracket connection is to provide a construction and the, means for connecting the said so wherein the lamp brackets employed will bracket to the rod 11, still, it isto be under-' be freely connected with tliejbody vof the stood that one of the brackets and the assomachine and wherein a connection will be ciated mechanism is to be employed at each interposed between the connecting rod and side of the machine to operativelyreceive a the said brackets having slidable connection pair of headlights. in the usual manner and 85 both with the connecting rod and with the since the construction of each of said lamp receiving brackets to permit of the brackets and associated mechanism is idenfree vertical movement ofthe brackets'with tical, only one will be described. the body under the influence of the springs It will be noted'that the bracket arm 10 of the machine and to compensate for the is secured .at one extremity-to the body of, 30 shifting of the connecting rod relative to the machine beneath the hood 12 thereof-and the brackets. H at the forward extremity of-the hood, while. The invention has as'a still further object the opposite extremity of the said arm is ari to provide an improved. construction whereranged to support the adjacent free extremin the lamp receiving brackets will be yield-- ity of the fender13. Intermediate its ends, 45 ably held seated in operative position upon and adjacent the inner terminal thereof. the

the body of the machine so that vertical rod 11 is longitudinally bent to provide a, movement of the body under the influence horizontallydlsposed portion which is laterof the springs of the machine will not affect ally enlarged'to form a seat 14, said seat be; I the independent vertical movement of the 'ing formed centrally with a vertically ere to said brackets. tending bore. 1'

Other and incidental objects will appear Coming now more particularly to the subas the description proceeds and in the drawject of the present invention, we employ. a i ings wherein we have illustrated the prelamp receiving bracket 15 which includes a ferred embodiment of the invention and shank or stem 16 providing at its uppef'ex ;1'1o 65. wherein similar reference characters desigtremity, spaced vertically extending arms nate corresponding parts throughout'the 17 adapted to-detachably receive, inflthe.

- '25 the shank.

usual manner, a headlight conventionally shown at 18.

The shank 16 adjacent the upper end thereof is preferably rebent longitudinally and intermediate its ends is provided with a laterally projecting annular shoulder 19, the outer en of the shank being arranged to extend freely through the bore formed "in the seat 14 with the shoulder 19 resting upon the said seat for supporting the bracket vertically, it being observed that the 15 is thus mounted for turning movement upon the bracket, arm 10.

Detachably secured to the lower end of 5 the shank 16 is ahead 20 which includes a preferably tubular-cylindrical sleeve 21 having a medially arranged laterally projecting tubular sleeve 22 formed thereon, the sleeve 22 extending right angles sleeve 21, the head 20 being connected with the shank ,by a suitable set screw 23 threaded into the wall ofthe sleeve 22 to engage A washer 24 is arranged to round the shank 11 to rest upon upper end of the sleeve 22 and interposdd between the said washer and the seat 14 is a referably helical spring" 25 which surrounds the shank, the spring 25 being adapted to normally hold the shoulder'19 yieldably in engagement with the seat 14 so that -vertical movement of the body of the auto mobile under the influence of the springs thereof,'will not, under ordinary circumstances, effect a vertical shiftingof the bracket 15 relative to the seat 14.

Detachably mounted upon the connecting rod 11 to extend laterally and forwardly therefrom, is an arm 26, the said arm being loosely surthe adjacent arranged in substantial alinement with the shank 16 and being suitably recessed upon one side and intermediate its ends, to receive the connecting rod. Coacting with the arm 26 is a half bearing block 27 which is also suitably recessed upon one side to bear over th connecting ro and extending through the .said block adjacent the ends thereof and 5 through the arm 26, are connecting bolts 28 adapted to clamp the block 27 against the arm 26 for rigidly securing the arm to the connectng rod. At its outer extremity, the arm 26 is ex- 'ternally screw threaded to detachably receive one extremity of an internally screw threaded elbow 29, within the opposite extremity of which is screw threaded at one end, a vertically arranged upstanding arm or tubular sleeve 30, the said sleeve 30 terminating at its upper end, in spaced relation laterally upon one side of and below the sleeve 21. V

Freely connecting the sleeve 30. with the sleeve 21 of the head 20 is a connecting member 31 which is preferably single length of material substantially circular in cross-section and bent intermediate its ends to provide arms 32 and 33 which extend at substantially right angles to each other, the arms 32 being freely received within the sleeve 30, while the arm 33 is freely received within the sleeve 21 of the head 20, as best shown in Fig. 5 of the'drawings, the arms being mounted for sliding brackets movement within the said sleeves.

It is now to be noted that when the bracket 15 is moved vertically with the body of the automobile, under the influence of the springs thereof, that the arm 32 of the connecting member 31 will correspondingly slide freely within the sleeve 30 to compensate for such vertical movement. As will be readily understood, when the automobile is guided, in use, the connecting rod 11 will be reciprocated' Such reciprocation of the connecting rod will, through the medium of the arm 26 and elbow 29, correspondingly move the sleeve 30 laterally. When the sleeve 30 is thus moved, the said sleeve will turn around the arm 32 of the connecting member 31 about a vertical axis, while at the same time engaging the said arm to move it laterally with the sleeve. Such lateral movement of the arm 32 will cause the arm 33 to slide longitudinally within the sleeve 21 of the head 20, while at the same time en aging the sleeve to swing it about the ax1s of the shank 16. As will be clear, such swinging movement of the sleeve 21 will correspondingly rotate the said shank to direct the rays of the lamp 18 correspondingly as the connecting rod 11 is shifted to guide the automobile. It will therefore be seen that the arm 33 in the practical use ofour improved headlight steering mechanism will lide within the sleeve 21 to compensate for the shifting movement of the connecting rod 11 either toward or away from the shank-16, while at the same time, the said arm wil through the medium of the sleeve 21, operformed from a l ate to efiect the turning movement oi. the

bracket.

Particular attention is now directed to the exceedingly simple construction which we provide. In any case where an automobile is equipped with the bracketarms 10, which, under ordinary circumstances rigidly support lamp brackets upon the seats l4,the-sa1d brackets may be removed and our improved mechanism quickly and easily applied. this purpose,the head 20is made detachable while it will be observed that, if necessary,-

the arm 26, the elbow 29, and the sleeve 30 may be also disconnected from each other.

Having thus what we claim and desire to secure by Le ters Patent is 1. A headlight operating mechanism adapted for operative connection to an eledescribed our' invention,

For

, a head carried thereby and including a sleeve, a sleeve operatively connectedto said element, and a member having-free connect1on with said sleeves and operatively connecting the bracket with. said element whereby shifting of the element will turn said bracket.

2. A headlight operating mechanism adapted for operative connection to an element of a vehicle steering gear, said mechanism including a lamp receiving bracket mounted for turning movement, a sleeve carried by said bracket and arranged in a plane at/substantially right angles to the axis of the bracket, asleeve operatively connected to said element and having its axis arranged at substantially right angles to the axis of said first mentioned sleeve, and a member slidablv mounted in said sleeves and operatively connecting the bracket with said elementwhereby shifting of the element will turn the bracket. 3. A headlight adapted for operative connection to an element of a vehicle steering gear, said mechanism including a lamp receiving bracket mounted for turning movement, a head car'- ried by said bracket and including a sleeve receiving the adjacent portion of the bracket, and a second sleeve, an arm rigidly connected to said element, a sleeve carried by said'hrm, and a member havingarms one slidably mounted within the sleeve carried by said first mentioned arm and the other slidably mounted within said second mentioned sleeve of the head, said member 0peratively connecting the arm with the bracket whereby shifting of the element will turn the bracket.

4. The combination with a vehicle having a bracket arm provided with a seat, of a headlight operating mechanism adapted for operative connection to an element of the steering gear of the vehicle, said mechanism including. a lamp receiving bracket having a. shank extending freely through said seat and provided with a shoulder normally engaging the seat for supporting the bracket vertically, ahead carried by said shank and operating mechanismincluding a sleeve, a spring interposed be tween said head and the seat for normally holding the bracket against vertical shifting movement relative to the seat, an arm rigidly connected to said element, a sleeve carried by said arm, and a member having arms slidably mounted in said sleeves whereby shifting of the element will turn the bracket.

5. A headlight operating mechanism adapted for connection to an element of a vehicle steering gear, said mechanism including a lamp receiving bracket, an arm carried by the said element, and a member having angularly disposed arms, one

mounted to turn about its longitudinal axis upon said first mentioned arm and the other freely connected to said bracket, whereby shifting of the element will turn the said bracket.

6. A headlight operating mechanismadapted for operative' connection to an element of a vehicle steering gear, said mechanism including a lamp receiving bracket, an arm connected to said element, sleeves carried by the bracket and said arm respectively, and an element. freely engaging in said sleeve for connecting the arm with the bracket, whereby shifting of the element will turn the bracket, said element being vertically shiftable in one of said sleeves and horizontally shiftable in the other of said sleeves.

7 The combination with a vehicle having a fender bracket, of a lamp bracket carried by said first mentioned bracket, an arm connected to an element of the vehicle steering gear, a vertically projecting sleeve carried by said arm, a sleeve carried by the lamp bracket and projecting laterally therefrom,

and an element slidably mounted in said sleeves for connecting the arm with the bracket whereby shifting of'the element will turn the lamp bracket.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

CLARENCE G. HILLIGAS. FRANK ll. HILLIGAS. W itness'es BARCLAY Moonn, D. A. HoLLiNeswoR'rH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing" thVGommissi'oner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. 

